1. Field
The present invention relates generally to computing equipment and, more specifically to patch panels for QSFP+ cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In data centers, patch panels are devices in a server rack or a data center with an array of data sockets that can be connected in various combinations. Generally patch panels are used to connect and route circuits (e.g., electrical, optical, or both) to facilitate monitoring, interconnecting, and testing of computing devices in a convenient manner, by positioning a relatively large number of connections in close proximity (e.g., in two or more rows). Patch panels in typical data center use cases have RJ45 connections.
In recent years, the data center industry has begun moving towards high speed data transmission (e.g., 10 Gbs, 40 Gbs, and 100 Gbs). RJ45 connections often do no support these data rates without expensive and cumbersome duplication of cabling to provide parallel data paths. Accordingly, there is a need for higher speed and more configurable patch panels.